Is My Proxy Fast? How to Test It Properly
When people call a proxy "fast", they usually mean one of three things. Latency is how quickly the first part of a reply comes back. Throughput is how much data gets through each second. Success rate is how often requests finish without an error. A quick proxy that keeps failing will finish less work than a slower, dependable one, so below you'll find a way to measure each of the three, plus what your numbers are telling you.
For a quick first reading, run the proxy through our proxy checker; the hands-on methods further down go deeper. Only test proxies you're allowed to use, and only against websites whose terms allow it.
Written and kept up to date by the people who run Budget Proxies. If a step no longer matches what you see on your screen, let us know through the contact page.
What this guide walks you through
- What people mean by a fast proxy
- Measuring them, from quick to thorough
- Is my result normal? A rough guide by type
- Common testing mistakes
- Run your first speed test
What people mean by a fast proxy
- Latency (response time): the time for a request to go out and come back, usually given in milliseconds, where a smaller number is better. Most of it comes from distance and from the time the proxy takes to handle your request.
- Throughput (bandwidth): steady transfer speed, measured in Mbps (megabits per second). It matters most for big downloads or when you use a headless browser, which is a full browser driven by a program.
- Success rate: out of all the requests you send, how many come back without an error. When you're doing real work, a high success rate is often worth more than raw speed.
Measuring them, from quick to thorough
The quick way: our proxy checker
The proxy checker on our site tests whether a proxy works and reports how fast it answered, plus the exit IP, which is the address websites see.
How fast it answers (latency), with cURL
cURL is a free command-line tool for making web requests. Send a request through the proxy and ask cURL for its timings; it can split the wait into stages, such as looking up the address (DNS), connecting, waiting for the first byte, and the total. Repeat it several times and take the median, the middle value, because one measurement on its own can mislead.
How much gets through (throughput), with a test file
Download a file of a known, sensible size through the proxy, then divide the size by the number of seconds it took. Make sure it's a file you're allowed to download.
How often it works (success rate), with a batch
Fire off a batch of requests (say 100) and count the successful ones. Do it again in the morning, afternoon and evening, because one batch only tells you about one moment.
Is my result normal? A rough guide by type
There's no single "good" number; it varies by proxy type. Datacenter IPs, which come from server companies, usually respond quicker; residential and mobile IPs give up a little speed in return for more trust. Use the table as a rough guide only; your own results will vary.
| Proxy type | Latency (lower is better) | Throughput (higher is better) | Trust from websites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datacenter | Lower than the rest | Higher than the rest (up to 1 Gbps) | Lower |
| Residential | Medium | Medium | High |
| Mobile (4G/5G) | Medium | Medium | Very high |
| Residential Premium | Low to medium | High | Higher than the rest |
Common testing mistakes
These are the slips beginners make most often when testing:
- Testing from the wrong region. If the proxy sits far from the website you test against, latency rises, and that says nothing about the proxy itself.
- Trusting a single result. Internet speeds bounce around, so one slow request doesn't mean much. Use the median.
- Blaming the proxy for a slow website. Some websites are simply slow, whatever connection you use.
- Testing the wrong thing. Measure latency if you'll make lots of small requests, and throughput if you'll move big files.
Some background: our datacenter network is built on connections of up to 1 Gbps and has 99.9% uptime. If your results swing about from one day to the next, look at distance and the website first.
Run your first speed test
Start with a quick reading from the proxy checker, then see the pricing page for the rates, or buy now. Whichever plan you test, it connects over HTTP/HTTPS or SOCKS5, takes a username/password login or an IP whitelist (your own address approved in advance), and offers 55+ countries.
Questions beginners ask
Not sure what to buy? Start at step 1
Here are our four types, from the lowest price per GB upwards. Try a small amount of the first one that could work for your project, and only move up a step if a quick test lets you down.
Sites without bot protection, big batches of public pages, automation and SEO tools
Protected sites, ad checks, market research and seeing what one place really sees
Apps and platforms built for phones, plus testing your own mobile app
Well-guarded sites, where a better success rate is worth the higher price
Small first order? Datacenter from $2.49/GB · billed on the data you actually move · ready straight away · 30 days to use it · no traffic logs.
What to read next
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Read the guide →What Are Residential Proxies? Home Addresses, Explained
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Read the guide →Datacenter vs Residential Proxies: Which Should a Beginner Buy?
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Read the guide →Mobile vs Residential Proxies: Do You Really Need Mobile?
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Read the guide →Proxy or VPN? The Difference, and Which One You Need
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Read the guide →Got a particular job in mind?
Ready to try your first proxy?
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